OK. This is going to get a bit wierd. I had started a whole new set of blog posts concerning ruminations about my career that I was not at liberty to post. I had four installments penned, beginning with a sense that I needed to develop a career Plan B (which is Plan C in my case, if you count graduate school) and moving on to my first meeting with a professional career counselor.
I had planned on posting on all of this when the time came that I could go public, which may well have been never. Then fate intervened. Tuesday night, I got a note from my boss requesting a meeting. Wednesday morning, we confirmed the time and she gave me her conference line to dial into. Mark it. I got that email at 10:12 a.m., and I knew immediately that HR would be on the line and that I was being laid off.
And sure enough, at 2:30 I was given notice that March 26 will be my last day working for my soon-to-be-former employer. The financials are good—I still get my bonus, I have a nice severance package, and I have access to free comprehensive career counseling in town. They are being decent and generous at a time many companies are neither.
I’m OK. More than OK even. That will only change if at age 80 I’m crippled and lonely, living in a dirty bed-sit with barred windows and eating cat food because I lost my last chance at employment at 40. I’m hoping that scenario is unlikely.
So this story is beginning in the middle. In a few weeks or months, whenever I think it’s appropriate, I’ll begin at the beginning. And along the way I’ll be blogging about my great (mis?)adventure of self re-invention at 40.
But don’t worry. The main story line here will continue to be Simon.
Ohhh Jess! I know you must have very conflicting emotions about this. Good Luck with whatever it is you decide, you’ll be great no matter what.
That’s right. Consider this a break and don’t forget to enjoy it.